I am actually a pretty big fan of George W. I am pro the war, and like his 'take no 5h1t' attitude towards things. If you read my post again, nowhere did I blame him for the aftermath management of the disaster. i am fully aware that we are just animals, and at the mercy of huge acts of violence by mother nature like any other mammal.

What I was commenting on was that he and his office were inept at helping minimise and deal with the wave of criticism that hit during/after; and that visiting a year on in light of that could be seen by detractors as a somewhat hollow gesture.

Now if you want me to actually find fault with the guy and his policies, lets talk about the stubborn and irresponsible refusal to commit to emissions reductions and energy efficiency policies ,

Outside of that he has done nothing different to any other President from what i can see- spent lots of money on military endeavours and looked at world politics more closely than your domestic situation. The only difference is that he has not made you all love him for it, unlike the dope smoking, property dealing, cigar hiding snake oil salesman you had before

Going through a cat-5 storm was more experience with hurricanes than I needed to figure out to get out of their way. Obviously "that which doesn't kill me makes me stronger"... but in the case of those people who lived around me in New Orleans, it didn't make them much smarter...

It's a little "one sided" to go play in the traffic and then complain that the ambulance didn't arrive to take you to the hospital in a timely fashion...

_________________________
What man is a man that does not make the world a better place?... from "Kingdom of Heaven"

Now, I'm not trying to be an insensitive jackass, but WT does have something of a point. Even minus all the political baggage, scientists have known for decades that New Orleans was below sea level - and sinking.

It does beg the question why people are allowed to build and rebuild in known flood or hurricane zones.

_________________________"In case you ever wondered what it's like to be knocked out, it's like waking up from a nightmare only to discover it wasn't a dream." -Forrest Griffin

Quote: Even minus all the political baggage, scientists have known for decades that New Orleans was below sea level - and sinking.

Mexico city is sinking. Most of the Orient and the Carribean are in extreme weather zones. California is on a timebomb called a faultline. People live on the slopes of active volcanoes. the world is essentialy a hostile environment- live in a placid area with clear fresh water, the chances are a crocodile will take you leg off when you go to drink It is our instinct to use our over developed brain to endure and overcome such setbacks, for better or worse.

Quote: lets talk about the stubborn and irresponsible refusal to commit to emissions reductions and energy efficiency policies

want to at least try to slow the onset of further extreme meteorological incidents? With the polar caps melting and deforestation continuing unabated, Greenhouse effect is now more than just a theory. USA is doing an ostrich impression or using the revs of a V8 to drown out the concerned voices. You pride yourselves on democratic power- let your voices be heard above the engine noise.

Quote:It does beg the question why people are allowed to build and rebuild in known flood or hurricane zones.

because they feel 'That which does not kill me makes me stronger' ?

I don't know, but I do know the psychology seems to be universal. Japan,California,Mexico,Turkey, etc - after massive quakes, people rebuild and stay. Okinawa had devistating weather and natural disaster throughout it's history - they had ships...why not abandon the area and migrate to mainland? why don't starving people living in desert move to areas where they can grow food? For some, the stress of change is greater than the risk of being forced to change.

It's a universal human psychology -not isolated to race or location. sure it's tied to opportunity. people with more money have more opportunity - more choices. The evacuation plan of any high risk area is basically: leave. Thats great if everyone has the opportunity of owning a car...but the poor are screwed, and certainly don't become stronger after losing their homes and loved ones.

governments local and federal can't change the weather, but they can certainly change priorities of who gets helped and who doesn't....there isn't much to invest in with the poor. The rich see them as a liability. If thats the way most accept it to be, then thats the way it will remain.